Purveyors of products have long sought ways to advertise their products in a manner that will cause prospective purchasers to purchase their products. One key to successful advertising is to grab the attention of the prospective purchaser. Another key is to convey information about the product to the purchaser in a manner that generates sufficient interest to cause a favorable purchasing decision.
It has long been known that an advertisement's impact can be enhanced if a vehicle is provided that is capable of conveying the message through more than a single medium, such as more than just sound, or more than just a visual display. To that end, commercial television advertisements have been particularly successful advertising devices because they combine both an audio and visual message about the advertised product.
However, one drawback with television commercials is that the place at which a prospective purchaser receives a television commercial is often remote from the place at which the purchaser can buy the advertised product. Because of this reason, many manufacturers and retailers have found that advertisements placed at the point of purchase can be particularly successful. Such point of purchase advertising traditionally takes the form of attractive packaging, shelf signs and stand-up displays.
Recently, many retailers have introduced the use of television sets placed at various points within a retail store that play video-taped messages about a particular product or set of products. These television systems often use a central playback unit to broadcast a taped message to a plurality of television sets located throughout a retail establishment. Alternately, video tape player containing television sets can be placed adjacent to the particular product or products shown in the messages. With such situations, each television set can play a different message directed to the particular product placed adjacent to the television set.
It will also be appreciated that such message conveying devices have applicability outside of a retail or trade show environment. For example, many museums are capable of enhancing their patrons' appreciation of the items displayed in the museum by placing a plurality of message conveying devices in different parts of the museum. Preferably, the message conveying devices each convey a different message, tailored to the particular display items that are placed adjacent to the particular message conveying device. For example, many museums contain video tape playing television sets that are placed adjacent to certain displays for conveying additional information to the viewer about the displayed item.
As will be appreciated, many of the same concerns that govern the design of a point of purchase display device also govern the design of a device for conveying message at a museum. As a general rule, message conveying devices should be durable, user friendly, and convey a message that will be sufficiently attractive to the person viewing the message to capture the viewer's attention long enough to cause him to hear the entire message conveyed.
Several devices exist for conveying a message at the point of purchase or point of display.
Buntsis U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,098 discloses a point of purchase advertising device that generates a prerecorded audio message automatically whenever a person is nearby, and which resets itself automatically to prepare for the presence of another person. The device causes a tape recorder to begin playing an audio message when the presence of a person is sensed by a motion detector. The motion detector is then disabled for the duration of the audio message being played back by the tape recorder, plus an additional time period governed by a timer.
Campbell, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,798 relates to a point of purchase advertising system that senses the presence of a person in the vicinity of an advertising display, and thereupon renders an appropriate advertisement, such as a recorded verbal message, or a visual or audio demonstration. The device can include an ultrasonic sensing circuit for detecting the approach of a potential customer, an endless tape playback unit for playing the advertisement, and a controller for operating the playback unit in response to the detection of a customer.
Reynolds U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,606 discloses a lighted, shelf merchandising display that includes a frame having an array of lights thereon for capturing a user's attention. The frame is designed for holding a pair of signs in a back-to-back relation. A bracket is provided for coupling the frame to a shelf unit, such as a grocery store shelf.
Torrence U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,384 discloses a display that uses at least a pair of aligned mirrors (one of which is a "half-silvered" mirror) to produce multiple images of a product being displayed, or to create an image of the product being displayed which is surrounded by flashing lights. The multiple images and the flashing lights are believed by Torrence to be useful in attracting the attention of a potential customer.
Carter U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,996 relates to a display device that includes a plurality (e.g., six) individual pictures or transparencies which are sequentially illuminated by six lamps. A tape recorder mechanism having prerecorded sound or narration portions for each picture to be displayed is combined with the display panel, so that the lighting and corresponding sound portion are always in synchronization under the control of the circuit which controls the device.
Fogelberg, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,661 discloses a display stand having a housing for holding a flat display screen, and a curvilinear, light diffusing rear wall. The light diffusing rear wall has a curvilinear shape so that it evenly diffuses the light onto the screen, both at the bottom and at the top of the screen.
Leuthesser U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,904 discloses a display box having a display stand that is lighted by lights contained within a housing panel.
Carter U.S. Pat. No. 2,858,629 discloses a collapsible knock-down display that will hold a plurality of pictures such as photographic transparencies.
One of the features found in many of the devices discussed above is a means for sensing the presence of a person in the area adjacent to the machine, and a control means for selectively actuating the device to begin delivering a message when such a person is sensed.
In addition to the various presence detector mechanisms disclosed in the patents discussed above, another presence detector is disclosed in Ravas U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,961. Ravas discloses a device for controlling the application of power to a load in response to the movement of an object within a prescribed area. Ravas' device includes a transmitter for generating and radiating a sound wave having a substantially constant carder frequency. A receiver for receiving the sound wave and for producing an output signal in response thereto is also included along with a detector circuit that is connected to produce an output signal in response to doppler shifts in the frequency of the received sound wave caused by the object's movement. A timed delay circuit is provided which is connected to produce a switching voltage in response to the detector circuit output signal, and to remove the switching voltage at a pre-determined time after cessation of the movement causing the doppler shift. A switching circuit is connected to apply and remove power to the load in respective response to the production and removal of the switching voltage.
Although many of the devices disclosed above very likely perform their intended functions in a workmanlike manner, room for improvement exists. For example, many of the devices disclosed above are limited to conveying a message in a single medium, such as through only sound, or only through sight. Others of the devices suffer the drawback of requiring the use of various electro-mechanical devices, such as playback tape recorders and electromechanical controllers, which are often unreliable and subject to breakdown and wear out. Additionally, such electromechanical devices often are difficult to program, and cause the user difficulty in trying to coordinate the audio message with the visual display given by the device.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a device which provides an audio display that is coordinated with a changing visual display, that is easy to use, easy to program, and reliable in operation. Additionally, it is a further object of the present invention to provide such a display that will render a message to a consumer in a manner that will attract and hold his attention, and convey a substantial amount of information to the viewer.